The present invention relates to a deck for the side wall of a cylindrical storage structure.
Cylindrical storage structures having inclined roofs, such as grain bins for the storage of grain, are typically filled by conveying the grain to the peak of the roof through an access which may be opened to admit the grain and closed to protect the grain from weather once the grain is in the grain bin. To ensure proper ventilation of the grain bin, several power exhaust fans are typically located on the inclined roof toward its top, and the fans are spaced from each other around the curvature of the roof. Once the grain has been admitted to the grain bin, the only reasonable access to these power exhaust fans to service them is from the roof of the grain bin. In order to facilitate the servicing of these power exhaust fans, decks have been mounted on the roof of the grain bin in proximity to the exhaust fans to permit access to the fans from the roof by service personnel. Once such roof deck construction is disclosed in my copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/606,296, filed Sep. 7, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
Such grain bins also have screened vents spaced around the lower end of the inclined roof through which air is drawn into the top of the grain bin by the power exhaust fans. The air which enters through the vents is circulated above the grain and exhausted by the power exhaust fans. The vents are also used to release air when aeration fans at the floor of the bin are operated under the grain to push air upward from the bottom of the bin for maintaining grain condition. These vents may be numerous and on larger diameter grain bins may be upward to seventy in number.
It is periodically desired to fumigate the grain in the bin with certain gases which are introduced at the bottom of the grain bin to kill pests and neutralize certain undesirable contaminants which may be on the grain, such as molds or the like. During such fumigation, the vents are covered with a covering such as a plastic sheet or bag to block air from entering the grain bin through the vents. Also when the aeration fans force air upward from the floor of the bin, debris can catch on the vent screens, or weather conditions can cause icing on the screens. When either of these conditions occur, the vents cannot release the necessary air volume and the positive pressure from the aeration fans can cause roof damage. Covering and uncovering of the vents for the fumigation procedure and maintenance and cleaning of the vent screens has typically been accomplished in the past by service personnel who are positioned at and moved sequentially one by one between each of the vents by a cherry picker.
In the present invention, a deck has been developed which extends around and encircles the cylindrical side wall of the grain bin beneath the bottom of its inclined roof adjacent to the top of the side wall and to the vents to permit service personnel to access the vents from the exterior of the grain bin to cover and uncover the grain bin vents and to clean, inspect and maintain the vents without the need for a cherry picker.
In one principal aspect of the present invention, a grain bin and deck assembly comprises a generally cylindrical grain bin having an inclined roof and a substantially vertical cylindrical side wall the top of which is located adjacent the bottom of the inclined roof, and a deck encircles at least a portion of the cylindrical side wall beneath the bottom of the inclined roof.
In another principal aspect of the present invention, the deck is adjacent the top of the side wall.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the deck is mounted to and supported on the cylindrical side wall.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the deck substantially entirely encircles the cylindrical side wall.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the side wall includes stiffeners on its exterior which are spaced from each other and which extend substantially vertically over at least a portion of the height of the cylindrical side wall and adjacent the top of the cylindrical side wall, and the deck is mounted to the stiffeners.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the inclined roof includes vents adjacent the bottom of the inclined roof, and the deck is positioned on cylindrical side wall so as to permit access to the vents.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, a deck for mounting to the side wall of a cylindrical storage container comprises a support assembly comprising a horizontal cross support, and an angular brace extending at an angle to the horizontal cross support. The angular brace has one of its ends fastened at one end of the horizontal cross support. At least one hand rail post is mounted to the one end of the horizontal cross support and a hand rail is mounted to the hand rail post above the horizontal cross support. At least one mounting plate is mounted at the other end of the horizontal cross support or the angular brace, and the mounting plate has a width that extends across the width of a vertical stiffener on the side wall of the cylindrical storage container to permit the mounting plate to be fastened to one stiffener to mount the deck to the side wall, and a deck plate extends horizontally from and is mounted on the horizontal cross support.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the deck includes two mounting plates one of which is mounted to the other end of the horizontal cross support and the other of which is mounted to the other end of the angular brace, and each of the mounting plates extends across the width of one vertical stiffener on the side wall of the cylindrical storage container to mount the mounting plates to the stiffener.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the mounting plates have plural pairs of rows of holes in which the plural pairs of rows of holes are arranged to overlie stiffeners of differing widths.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, a strengthening backer is positioned on at least one of the mounting plates between the mounting plate and the stiffener, and the strengthening backer has holes which align with holes in the mounting plate.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the deck plate is trapezoidal in shape to permit the deck to curve around the side wall of the cylindrical storage container.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the deck includes a tie bar extending between the horizontal cross support and the angular brace.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the deck includes at least one kick rail positioned above the deck plate and attached at each end to adjacent stiffeners.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the cylindrical storage container is a grain bin.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily understood upon a consideration of the following detailed description.